Deep well air hockey game

Abstract

An air hockey game including a table having an upper game surface, a paddle adapted to rest on said game surface, said paddle having a height measured by the distance that the paddle extends above the game surface, and a rail surrounding the game surface, said rail having a depth measured by the distance that the rail extends above the game surface, and wherein the depth of the rail is approximately equal to the height of the paddle.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An air hockey game comprising: 
 a table having an upper game surface;    a paddle adapted to rest on said game surface, said paddle having a height measured by the distance that the paddle extends above the game surface; and    a rail surrounding the game surface, said rail having a depth measured by the distance that the rail extends above the game surface, and wherein the depth of the rail is approximately equal to the height of the paddle.    
     
     
         2 . An air hockey table comprising: 
 an upper game surface; and    a rail surrounding the game surface, said rail having a depth measured by the distance that the rail extends above the game surface, wherein said depth is greater than 1.0 inches.    
     
     
         3 . The air hockey table of    claim 2    wherein said rail has a depth greater than diameter of a puck used on said upper game surface.  
     
     
         4 . The air hockey table of    claim 2    wherein the rail depth is greater than 1.5 inches.  
     
     
         5 . The air hockey table of    claim 2    wherein the rail depth is greater than 2.0 inches.  
     
     
         6 . The air hockey table of    claim 2    wherein the rail depth is greater than 2.5 inches.  
     
     
         7 . The air hockey table of    claim 2    wherein the rail depth is approximately 2.5 inches.  
     
     
         8 . The air hockey table of    claim 2    wherein the rail comprises: 
 a bottom strip having an outer edge, an inner edge, and a bottom face adjacent the upper game surface;  
 means for holding said bottom strip adjacent to said upper game surface;  
 an outer wall connected to said table and extending around an outer periphery of said upper game surface, said outer wall having an upper edge;  
 an upper strip having an outer edge, an inner edge, and a lower face adjacent the upper edge of the outer wall; and  
 an inner wall extending between the inner edge of the bottom strip and the inner edge of the upper strip.  
 
     
     
         9 . The air hockey table of    claim 8    wherein the distance the inner wall extends between the inner edge of the bottom strip and the inner edge of the upper strip is greater than 1.5 inches.  
     
     
         10 . The air hockey table of    claim 8    wherein the distance the inner wall extends between the inner edge of the bottom strip and the inner edge of the upper strip is greater than 2.0 inches.  
     
     
         11 . The air hockey table of    claim 8    wherein the distance the inner wall extends between the inner edge of the bottom strip and the inner edge of the upper strip is greater than 2.5 inches.  
     
     
         12 . The air hockey table of    claim 8    wherein the distance the inner wall extends between the inner edge of the bottom strip and the inner edge of the upper strip is approximately 2.5 inches.